“Ye-es?” He wiped his suddenly sweaty hands on a napkin.
“I’ve watched you teach these children for weeks now and did a little checking on you.”
His ire raised, Tyler managed to keep a pleasant tone of voice only because he knew he’d come out on the losing end if he yelled at her. “Checked up on me? For what reason?”
“Because you’re too good to be a simple children’s dance teacher. And I was correct.” She gave him a smug smile. “You were professionally trained for the stage, weren’t you?”
Reeling from the shock that this woman had looked into his background, Tyler gave her a curt nod.
“And I bet you gave it all up to take care of that little niece of yours, am I right?”
“What is this about? I hate to be rude, but I have a lot of cleaning up to do.”
“I don’t believe in beating around the bush. I want you to come audition for a play my husband is producing Off-Broadway. You’d be perfect for one of the roles.”
“I’m sorry?” This woman was nuts.
“My husband is…” She named a very well-known producer, and his heart began to pound. “He is putting on a production ofRapunzel, and I want you to play the prince who rescues her.” She ran a critical eye over him. “You’re handsome, and you dance like a dream. You’d be perfect, and I already told my husband.”
“Wait.” This was crazy. Things like this didn’t happen to people like him. “I can’t just walk in and get the part.”
Liz burst out laughing. “Honey, it’s his show and my money. I can do and get whatever and whoever I want, and I want you.” She handed him her card. “Come by the theater tomorrow and meet my husband. He’ll probably want you to dance for him.”
Without waiting for him to answer, she turned on her stilettos and swept little Wyatt into her arms, telling him how wonderfully he’d danced. Mother and son exited the studio, leaving him dumbfounded.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Austin, his junior dance instructor, gave him a curious stare. Big blue eyes peered out from under a pouf of curly black hair. Tyler had been reluctant to hire him at first; he’d sensed a bit of an entitled attitude, especially once he’d discovered Austin’s father was a high-powered partner in one of the city’s most prestigious law firms. The last thing he needed was a sulky princess.
But Austin had proved a surprise in both his dedicated work ethic and his obvious enjoyment working with the children. And they loved him.
“Nothing, except Wyatt’s mother offered me a chance to dance in her husband’s production ofRapunzel.”
He proffered her business card, and Austin squealed with excitement.
“Shut up. That’s fabulous.” He bit his full lower lip. “You’re doing it right? You’d be crazy not to.”
“Do what? What trouble are you involving my man in, Austin?”
Dressed in drainpipe tight black jeans and a gray Henley that made his violet eyes glitter like chips of amethyst, Marcus leaned against the door with his usual languid grace. That devilish smile Tyler loved teased his lips.
Austin had admitted to Tyler that Marcus scared him a little, and when Tyler mentioned it to Marcus, he laughed louder than Tyler recalled ever hearing.
“Good. I want him a little scared. That’d make him think twice about ever making a pass at you again.”
Tyler had thought it funny when Austin had cornered him and tried to kiss him late one afternoon when classes were over, but Marcus was not as amused when he’d come by to meet him for dinner. In very graphic and painful detail, Marcus let Austin know what would happen to him if Marcus ever found his hands on Tyler’s body again.
“Not me; I swear.” Austin put his hands up and moved out of striking distance. “I don’t tell Tyler what to do. I gotta go do something.” Nearly tripping over his platform sneakers, Austin ran out the door.
Laughing at Austin’s abrupt departure, Marcus kissed Tyler’s cheek. “That boy should cut down on those sugary coffee shakes he’s always drinking. They make him jumpy.”
Tyler nudged him, then continued to clean up the table full of discarded paper plates.
“You make him jumpy, and you enjoy it way too much.”
“Forget about him. What were you talking about when I came in? What does he say you have to do?”
Tyler showed him Liz Graff’s card and explained what she said to him.
